Changes

==Prelude==

==Prelude==

After the Italian declaration of [[war]] on France and the [[United Kingdom]] on 10 June 1940, the Italian forces in Libya and the Commonwealth forces in Egypt began a series of cross-border raids. Among the more notable achievements of these raids were the capture of Fort Capuzzo by the British Army's 11th Hussars on 17 June. One early British raid on 12 June resulted in 63 Italians being taken prisoner. [[Benito Mussolini]] urged the Libyan Governor-General Marshal Italo Balbo to launch a large scale offensive against the British in [[Egypt]]. Mussolini's immediate aim was to capture the Suez Canal, ultimately wanting to link up his forces in Libya with those in Italian East Africa. But, for many reasons, Balbo was reluctant. After Balbo's accidental death on June 28, Mussolini was just as adamant in urging his replacement, General Rodolfo Graziani, to attack. Like Balbo, Graziani too was reluctant.

After the Italian declaration of [[war]] on France and the [[United Kingdom]] on 10 June 1940, the British and Italian forces in Libya began a series of incurisons. Among the more notable achievements of these raids were the capture of Fort Capuzzo by the British Army's 11th Hussars on 17 June. On 12 June, 63 Italians were captured in a raid. [[Benito Mussolini]] urged the Libyan Governor-General Marshal Italo Balbo to launch a large scale offensive against the British in [[Egypt]]. Mussolini's immediate aim was to capture the Suez Canal, ultimately wanting to link up his forces in Libya with those in Italian East Africa. But, fearing a Free French invasion, Balbo was reluctant. After Balbo's accidental death on 28 June, Mussolini was just as adamant in urging his replacement, Marshal Rodolfo Graziani, to attack. Like Balbo, Graziani too was reluctant.

Graziani was the commander of the Italian Tenth Army in Libya, then an Italian colony, with the Fifth Army located towards the west in Tripolitania and the Tenth Army located towards the east in Cyrenaica. Once the French in Tunisia no longer posed a threat to Tripolitania, the assets of the Fifth Army were used more and more to supplement the needs of the Tenth Army.

Graziani was the commander of the Italian Tenth Army in Libya, then an Italian colony, with the Fifth Army located towards the west in Tripolitania and the Tenth Army located towards the east in Cyrenaica. Once the French in Tunisia no longer posed a threat to Tripolitania, the assets of the Fifth Army were used more and more to supplement the needs of the Tenth Army.